Rosie O'Donnell On Barbara Walters: "I Do Love Her"

Rosie O'Donnell appeared on the "Today" show Monday morning to promote her variety show, which airs on NBC Wednesday night, but she couldn't get out of talking about "The View" and her resurgent feud with Barbara Walters.

Interviewed by fellow "View" alumna Meredith Vieira — who joked to Rosie, "It's now your turn to save this network" — O'Donnell explained that she loves and cares about Barbara Walters and is sorry to have hurt her.

"The fact that I hurt her is what hurts me," O'Donnell said. "She is one of the women who paved the way for every other woman on television and in broadcasting, and I love her, regardless of the fact that to her, I'm the rowdy teenage daughter that she can't control."

Watch:

O'Donnell told reporters last week that Walters misrepresents the off-camera camaraderie among the co-hosts of "The View," and Walters responded harshly on the program the following morning — despite, as Rosie revealed on "Today," an apology e-mail Rosie fired off as soon as the news of their feud broke.

"I sent her a letter the night it came out, before she went on 'The View,'" Rosie said. "I wrote her an email, saying 'I'm sorry it keeps coming up like this, I do the best I can, have a great turkey. [Their shared publicist Cindi Berger] was on the phone, she can get you the transcripts. I love you. Love, Rosie.'

"I do love her, and that's the bottom line: love is complicated," Rosie said.

As for the variety show, Rosie promises "an hour where you can escape the troubles of the world" with her all-star lineup of Liza Minelli, Alanis Morisette, Ne-Yo, and Gloria Estefan.

Previously
Rosie O'Donnell Talks Barbara Walters Feud On Conan
Barbara Walters Slams Rosie: Get On With Your Life, Rosie Responds
Rosie O'Donnell: Barbara Walters Exaggerates, There Was No Camaraderie Off-Camera On "The View"

Comments

[davejavu]

I don't care what ANYONE says. Any woman willing to say what she thinks--regardless of the consequences--is a hero. I'm sick of these anorexic, vapid money whores with no ambitions, no intelligence and zero in personality. I'll take Rosie and other strong women over those hookers any day.

[JohnKevari]

KEVARI SNOWFLAKES

Did I read correctly?

Is Liza Minnelli going to be on Rosie's Show?

WOW!

If that ain't class I don't know what is.

[slobone]

yeah, that's a get if ever there was one...

[we-r-doomed]

Her head looks more and more like a dented watermellon everyday

[middlemarch]

I. DON'T. CARE.

[isi]

What a wonderful interview. Rosie is so engaging and intelligent. Looking forward to her special Wednesday.

[jigisup]

Rosie is not the one who keeps bringing it up. She just answers the questions that she is asked with honesty. She just needs to learn that the only reason the questions are still being asked is so the person who is asking can make a few bucks and get a few extra headlines. Barbra Walters on the other hand is kind of anoying.

[1099]

Rosie answers the questions and brings it up because she wants to get her name in the papers and on TV right before her variety special airs. It's typical showbusiness stuff.

[terkid]

There are just some people who find it hard to cruise along
on the sea of "truth" as it wished ti be portrayed by others-
or, as some might say, the b.s. factor. Rosie is one of them.

She makes waves, most of the time probably without realizing
it. The negative reactions to her and her seeming sense of
entitlement are based, I believe, in people's belief that everyone
should just "sing along."

But Rosie, like the kid who called the Emperor on his "new clothes,"
just can't always "sing along." She speaks the truth as she feels it -
not as it is always supposed to be felt. And consequently, she ends
up like a bull caught in the headlights.

I don't always agree with her, or even her relentless need to call a spade
a spade. But, I do defend her right to do so.

[Photofarm]

Rosie seems to be stuck in the mentality of a high school teenager.

[stunsitfel]

I think you are giving her far too much credit.

[Badfickle]

I used to think she was funny. Now I just really don't care to see or hear anything from her.

[Savetheworld]

Why is she such an angry, bitter person?

[jigisup]

Who Barbra? I think it is because of her lisp and being teased as a child. LOL

[DontJustFollow]

One word - D E M O C R A T

[Eric8869]

After the last 8 years where the Republicans put our country in the toilet, didn't capture the madman behind 9-11, had us fight an unnecessary unwinnable costly war, tortured people without a trial based on scant evidence etc etc. I could write a paragraph.

Democrats are ANGRY because you about ruined our country on so many levels.

If you are still a Republican after the last 8 years - you have no brain.

[oscat]

Rosie brought an edgyness to the view that wasn't there before , brought a little excitement to the show that made it not only fun to watch but controversial and obviously news worthy at least in some areas... Whoopi is also good in her own way and brings some of the same ideas as Rosie but much more diplomatic and is very good at putting EH in her place without all the yelling and fighting , and also fun to watch... but sometimes I miss the old Rosie edgyness on the show and the excitement of never knowing when there may be a good old fashioned cat fight....

[mamadeus]

I loved Rosie on the view. She showed major restraint dealing with EH. ROSIE brought her fan base and higher ratings for the show. THAT is one of the reasons she was recruited by Walters in the first place. WALTERS is a control freak, she wants high ratings, but at the same time resents the strong
persona of the people she picks. Cannot have it both ways Babs.
GO ROSIE!

[DebbieinPhx]

Say what you will about Rosie O she has championed a lot of good causes and has tried hard to do good things with her fame and fortune.

That being said, if I had been put in the same position as she had been, against Elizabeth Hasselbeck, I would have decked her and I'm probably half the size of Rosie. Elizabeth Hasselbeck is an unintelligent, shrewish, vitriolic cat. I think she and Sara Palin make a LOVELY team, I think they should run on the same ticket in 2012... a gift to the nation, dumb and dumber LIVE! They can throw out racist, idiotic misnomers like catnip for the white supremacist xenophobes. It’ll be fun.

[Adrienne Williams - Huffpost Blogger]

Very nice interview, and who cares about Elizabeth, she's hard to take.

Give them he** Rosie! LOL

[Geranium]

I care more about Elisabeth than Rosie.

[Eric8869]

That says a lot about u. and nothing good.

[benskelly]

I was in the Boston University acting program with Rosie oh so many years ago and she was as "difficult" then as she is now - she's always had a lot of anger in her - but she was also a hard worker, ambitious, and very warm and considerate with her friends. She once almost came to blows with Mike Chiklis (The Shield) and when she was kicked out of the program she called the teachers every name in the book. She also told them she was going to be a big star - amazing. As much I liked her, it always amazed me when, during the run of her talk show, people called her the "Queen Of Nice". I think I did a spit-take when I heard that. She's a tough broad with a big ego. She had to be to have the success she has. "Strong coffee", if you will.

The truth is she never should have been on The View as part of a group and no matter how much I agreed with her politically she had one ugly tantrum after another, and it may just be sinking in for her now how much damage she did to her image. It will be interesting to see how her new comedy show does and if people are willing to move on and just accept her as an entertainer. I think it's going to be a challenge. On the plus side, she's set for life and really doesn't need

[scared4ALL]

I don't think they were ugly tantrums. I think she was passionate because she cared so much.

Truth meant everything to her and she wanted "US" to wake up for our own good.

A real American Patriot, she is!

[benskelly]

Yes, but she could have argued it all in a more civil way - and who knows, maybe she would have changed a few minds? Like I say, even though I was on her side and god knows we've all been angry the last eight years, I think she could have handled it much better. I mean, shouldn't you be able to argue with Elizabeth Hasselbeck for chrissake and come out smelling like a rose?? She somehow managed to get Hasselbeck MORE sympathy.

You can be passionate and patriotic and not yell and scream.

Isn't that what drives us crazy about the right-wingers?

[MarsAmbassador]

Shut up, Rosie, you two-faced, sanctimonious windbag. She's also got the largest head since Pericles.

[Dystopic]

Bigger than Keith Olbermann? I doubt that.